Hair dryer hood



Nov. 20, 1962 G. A. FORTNAM HAIR DRYER noon Filed Jan. 10, 1962- IN VEN TOR. GEORGE A. FORTNAM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3336 5562 HAIR DRYER H661) George A. Fortnam, South Enciid, Ohio, assignor to Landers, Frary & Clark, New Britain, Conn, a corporation of (Ionnectieut Filed Jan. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 165,396 4 Claims. (Cl. 34-99) This invention relates to an improved hair dryer hood for use with a stream of heated air and has as one of its principal objects the provision of an improved hair dryer hood that will permit the user to have convenient entry into the hood during the hair drying process to check the dryness condition of the hair or the placement of bobby pins without frustrating or interrupting the drying process and disturbing the position of the hood upon the head.

A further object of this invention is the provision of such an improved hair dryer hood that can be conveniently and comfortably fitted upon heads of various dimensions without disturbing the hair set and that will direct an air stream substantially throughout all portions of the hair and at the same time prevent excessive inflation of the hood.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an improved hair dryer hood having the aforementioned characteristics that can be compactly folded into a purse, drawer, or the like, and that is lightweight, durable, and relatively economical to manufacture.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hair dryer hood embodying the present invention illustrated in operative position upon a womans head and as connected to an air supply hose;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top view to an enlarged scale of the hair drying hood of FIG. 1 with portions broken away to show internal construction; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, an improved hair drying hood embodying the present invention, generally designated by the numeral 5, is shown fitted for use upon a users head in FIG. 1 such as is generally done after washing and setting of the hair. The hood 5 is connected by means of a fitting (not shown) at the supply port 7 to a flexible hose 8 which conveys a warm stream of air into the hood from a hair dryer (not shown).

The hood 5 is formed of a soft plastic sheet material and has an elliptical top portion 10 and a downwardly converging wall portion 12 which are secured together along the seam 14, conveniently by stitching as in the illustrated embodiment. The top and wall portions are dimensioned to permit use of the hood with bulky hair styles without disturbing the same and in order to permit use of the hood upon heads of various dimensions. To provide a snug, adjustable fit of the lower end of the wall portion 12 about the head of the user, a hem 16 is provided along the edge in which is received an elastic member the ends of which are adjustably joined together as by the illustrated tie 18.

In order to distribute the stream of heated air from the supply port 7 throughout substantially the entire area enclosed by the hood, a generally U-shaped distribution member 2% is provided therein having a base portion 22 extending across the supply port '7 to provide a baifle and M 3,054,362 Ice Patented Nov. 20, 1962 2 a pair of diverging leg portions 24, 26 to provide ducts extending forwardly along opposite sides of the hood to discharge the heated air through the ports 28, 30 at about midway of the length of the hood. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the distribution member 29 is conveniently provided by a pair of strips 29, 31 of plastic sheet material which are secured, respectively, to the top portion 10 and side portion 12 conveniently by stitching as indicated at 32, 34 and to each other along the seam 36.

At the lower end of the wall portion 12 adjacent the hem 16 are provided a plurality of small openings 38 which vent the area enclosed by the hood and discharge the spent air from the bottom of the enclosed area. The cross-sectional area of the openings 38 is so dimensioned as to provide a desired degree of restriction upon air discharge and thereby ensure adequate but not excessive expansion of the hood upon the users head.

In accordance with the present invention, a test port is provided through the top portion 10 of the hood for inspection of the hair enclosed thereby to determine the dryness or placement of hair pins. Cut along the longitudinal center line of the top portion 10, but ofiset towards the rear end thereof, is a slit 40 of sufilcient length to permit facile insertion of one or more fingers into the hood. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, a'pair of strips 42, 44 of flexible plastic sheet material extend across the area of the slit 4% and are secured to the top portion 10 forwardly and rearwardly of the slit 40 and along their side edges, conveniently by stitching as indicated by the numerals 46 and 48, respectively. The strips 42, 44 thus provide a pair of pockets opening along the free edges 50, 52 which extend transversely of the slit 40 and generally centrally thereof.

Upon inflation of the hood, air pressure holds the overlapping portion of the underlying strip 44 against the upper strip 42 to provide an air seal, and similarly the two strips 42, 44 are 'held against the upper portion '10 of the hood so as to preclude substantially the escape of the heated air through the slit 40 without appreciably diminishing the ease of entry therethrough. In using the test port, the edges of the slit '40 are spread apart by the fingers, and then the edges 50, 52 of the pockets are spread apart, thus permitting convenient inspection of the hair within the hood without disturbing the position of the hood upon the head or materially affecting the drying process.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described Will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair dryer hood formed of flexible sheet material and having a top portion and a downwardly extending wall portion adapted to enclose the users hair when placed upon the users head, said hood having a port therein for passage of a stream of heated air into the hood and means for distributing the heated air through the hair of the user, said top portion having a slit therein dimensioned to permit insertion of the users fingers, a pair of strips secured to the inner surface of said top portion to provide a pair of pockets having their free edges in overlapping relationship and extending transversely of said slit, said strips being dimensioned to enclose said slit within their confines, said slit and strips providing an inspection port for the hair underlying said hood and said strips providing an air seal to limit the escape of air through said slit, and means spaced from said slit for exhausting air from said hood.

2. A hair dryer hood formed of flexible sheet material and having a top portion and a downwardly extending wall portion adapted to enclose the users hair when placed upon the users head, said hood having a port therein for passage of a stream of heated air into the hood and means for distributing the heated air through the hair ,of the user, said top portion having a slit therein diair seal to limit the escape of air through said slit,

and means spaced from said slit for exhausting air from said hood.

3. A hair dryer hood formed of flexible sheet material and having a top portion and a downwardly extending wall portion adapted to enclose the users hair when placed upon the users head, said hood having a port therein for passage of a stream of heated air into the hood and means for distributing the heated air through the hair of the user,

said top portion having a slit therein dimensioned to permit insertion of the users fingers, said slit extending in a direction towards the front and rear of the hood and being 'ofiset towards the rear of the hood, a pair of generally parallel extending strips secured to the inner sur face of said top portion and dimensioned to enclose said slit and to provide overlapping portions extending trans versely of said slit generally centrally thereof, said strips being secured to said top portion forwardly and rearwardly of said slit, respectively, and along their side margins to provide a pair of pockets having their free edges in overlapping relationship, said slit and strips providing an inspection port for the hair underlying said hood, and said strips providing an air seal to limit the escape of air through said slit during use by the maintenance of firm contact between the overlapping portions thereof due to air pressure upon the lower surface of the underlying strip forcing the strips upwardly against the top portion, and means spaced from said slit for ex hausting air from said hood.

4. A hair dryer hood formed of flexible sheet plastic material, said hood being dimensioned to enclose the users hair when placed upon the users head and having a top portion and a downwardly extending wall portion, said hood having a port therein in the rear portion thereof for passage of a stream of heated air into the hood and diverging ducts in communication with said port and terminating adjacent the center of said hood for distributing the heated air forwardly of the hood and through the hair of the user, said top portion having a slit therein extending forwardly and rearwardly of the hood between said ducts and dimensioned to permit insertion of the users fingers, a pair of generally parallel extending strips secured to the inner surface of said top portion and having overlapping portions extending transversely of the slit adjacent the midpoint thereof, said strips being dimensioned to enclose said slit within their confines and being secured to said top portion rearwardly and forwardly of the slit, respectively, and along the side thereof to provide a pair of pockets having their free edges in overlapping relationship, said slit and strips providing an inspection port for the hair underlying said hood and said strips providing an air seal to limit the escape of air through said slits during use by the maintenance of firm contact between the overlapping portions thereof due to air pressure upon the lower surface of the underlying strip forcing the strips upwardly against the top portion and permitting inspection of the underlying hair by separating the edges of the slit and the free edges of the pockets, and means spaced from said slit for exhausting air from said hood.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,474,165 Roberts June 21, 1949 2,488,227 Nelson Nov. 15, 1949 2,632,960 Bucknell Mar. 31, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 142,136 Australia July 10, 1951 

